My Arms, Your Hearse
Artist: Opeth
Label: Century Black
Time: 9 tracks/52:38
Whenever I hear someone listing the names of prominent and/or talented artists in the area of metal, Opeth is not frequently mentioned. That is a shame. With two critically acclaimed (and underpromoted) albums under their belts, the members of the band should be opening concerts for the likes of Slayer or Cannibal Corpse by now, showing metal fans where true musicians are taking the genre. However unfortunate the situation seems, though, Orchid and Morningrise (Opeth's two previous offerings) have attracted little attention outside of a loyal fanbase within the death/black metal niche. So, now that my biases have been thoroughly exposed, we come to their latest opus, My Arms, Your Hearse.
Stylistically, My Arms, Your Hearse is a departure from Opeth's previous body of work. Known for their somewhat predictable dependancy on the high end of the sonic spectrum (a trait rather common to black metal) and their bias toward harmonic guitar riffs reminiscent of '70s prog. rock and early '80s metal, they have abandoned the former and moderated the latter, interspersing creative bursts of dissonance (another trait common to black metal) with melodic interludes to create a remarkably balanced sonic landscape. As on previous albums, lively acoustic guitar passages are mixed in, as are clean vocal lines to complement the characteristic death metal growl. The production throughout is excellent; the guitars, both acoustic and electric, are extraordinarily bright, and the singing vocals are much clearer than those on the first two albums.
Within the vocal stylings rests another definite significant musical
departure: the non-growling vocals are now sung in harmony, making most
of the singing a sheer delight; also, the higher-pitched black metal growl
has been almostly totally abandoned for a much more resonant low rumble.
As with most other aspects of this album, the new, gravelly vocals are
quite well-done, and bring to my mind comparisons to Carcass's Jeff Walker
and Amorphis's Tomi Koivusaari (both of whom surely need no introduction).
The last major departure that comes to mind is the shortening of
each particular song: on My Arms..., the average song clocks in
at around six and a half minutes; on Morningrise, the average song
lasted thirteen minutes. This concision might seem to have little
effect on the quality of the album, but in fact it allows the listener
to concentrate a bit more on each distinct song, and by extension the musical
and lyrical themes presented.
The songwriting is yet another high-water mark; interludes like
the last two minutes of "The Amen Corner", where a whispered phrase sets
off an acoustic guitar riff, which in turn is quickly superseded by a swelling
electric guitar power chord and pounding double bass, give me goosebumps.
Sonically inventive and refreshing, My Arms, Your Hearse definitely
fails to disappoint musically.
Lyrically, this album is more of the same from Opeth, who on previous albums weaved a complex mythology of love lost and death accepted. The tentative title for this CD was "Everything Dies" (raising the question of whether the members of Opeth watch The X-Files); that certainly is an accurate summation...lyrics from the darkest song on the album, "Demon of the Fall," illustrate a confrontation with the eventuality of expiration:
This album is, in my opinion, a polished gem. After two excellent, original albums to their credit, My Arms, Your Hearse is quite a breakthrough, and certainly one of the best metal albums I've heard. Opeth has matured as songwriters while not abandoning the most crucial elements of their previous work. Ambitious and satisfying, this the type of work that all metal bands, especially those entering the realm of Christian music, should aspire too.
By Glenn Harper (9/12/98)
